14,000 years ago, the most powerful solar storm ever recorded hit Earth. 'This event establishes a new worst-case scenario'

A fiery star sends out a tendril of flame towards a blue and white planet.

An extreme solar storm hit Earth some 14,300 years ago, more powerful than any other such event known in human history, a new analysis of radiocarbon data has revealed.

The solar storm, the only known to have taken place in the last Ice Age, long eluded scientists as they lacked appropriate models for interpreting radiocarbon data from glacial climate conditions.